The Alabama Department of Transportation has spoken about events that should close down the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and that should be enough.

Mayor George Evans read a letter Tuesday night from the chief engineer of ALDOT. The upshot of the letter is the bridge is part of a federal highway system. The system falls under the purview of ALDOT.

In the letter, the engineer said ALDOT closes the bridge for maintenance and repair or for safety reasons.

Recently, the bridge closed for Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to make a speech to a group of school children. The bridge is a federal bridge and the federal government wants it closed.

The letter from ALDOT should end any question about who has the authority to close the bridge. It’s our understanding public officials might make a request, but that’s not likely to happen in the future.

After all, rules are meant to be followed.

And Dr. Monica Newton, a councilwoman and physician, pointed out if the bridge is closed frequently this leaves people on the other side of a major thoroughfare at risk in the event of a medical or some other emergency.

It’s good to have basic rules from which to operate. These make sense.

Now on with other matters of much more importance.